Hawaii · HI
Hawaii Real Estate License Checklist (2026)
Every step, fee, and deadline on one page — designed to print cleanly to PDF and check off as you go.
Before you start
- You are at least 18 years old
- You hold a high school diploma or GED
- You can pass a criminal background check / fingerprinting
Education
Hawaii requires 60 hours of salesperson pre-licensing education from a Hawaii-registered prelicense school. Your school completion certificate is valid for two years, so don't sit on it forever before taking the exam.
- Enroll in a 60-hour salesperson pre-licensing course with a school registered with the Hawaii Real Estate Commission (in-person schools like Abe Lee Seminars on Oahu or approved online providers both work).
- Complete all 60 hours and pass your school's final exam — your completion certificate is valid for 2 years from the date of issuance.
- Download the free Hawaii Real Estate Candidate Information Bulletin from PSI and study the content outline — the state portion leans hard on Hawaii-specific topics like leasehold property, the Bureau of Conveyances/Land Court, and HARPTA.
- Create an account at psiexams.com and schedule your salesperson exam at a PSI test center (Honolulu, Maui, Kona, Hilo, Kauai, or select mainland locations).
Application & exam
- Pass both portions of the PSI exam — if you pass one portion and fail the other, you only retake the failed portion (paying the exam fee again each attempt).
- Submit your salesperson license application to the Real Estate Branch within 2 years of your exam date, or you're deemed an unsuccessful candidate and must retest.
- Pay the license fee: $282 if you apply in an even-numbered year or $382 in an odd-numbered year. That's not a typo — all Hawaii real estate licenses expire December 31 of even-numbered years, so the fee is prorated to how much of the biennium you're actually buying.
- Answer the character and background questions — Hawaii requires a reputation for or record of competency, honesty, truthfulness, financial integrity and fair dealing, and you must disclose criminal convictions and judgments (no fingerprinting is required).
- To be issued an active license, you must be associated with a licensed Hawaii brokerage and your principal broker signs off on the application; you can also apply for inactive status and activate later when you pick a brokerage.
- Meet the baseline requirements: at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or alien authorized to work in the U.S., and a high school diploma or equivalent.
Budget
| Item | Estimate | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 60-hour pre-licensing course (Hawaii-registered school, online to live classroom) | $450 | |
| PSI salesperson exam fee (per attempt) | $61 | |
| License application/fee — $282 in an even-numbered year, $382 in an odd-numbered year (odd-year figure shown) | $382 | |
| Estimated total | $893 |
Key deadlines
- Your school completion certificate is valid for two years, so don't sit on it forever before taking the exam.
- Biennial — every Hawaii real estate license expires December 31 of even-numbered years no matter when it was issued; renewal is $268 plus 20 hours of continuing education
- Complete all 60 hours and pass your school's final exam — your completion certificate is valid for 2 years from the date of issuance.
- Submit your salesperson license application to the Real Estate Branch within 2 years of your exam date, or you're deemed an unsuccessful candidate and must retest.
- Pay the license fee: $282 if you apply in an even-numbered year or $382 in an odd-numbered year.
- That's not a typo — all Hawaii real estate licenses expire December 31 of even-numbered years, so the fee is prorated to how much of the biennium you're actually buying.
- Meet the baseline requirements: at least 18 years old, a U.S.
- Most people finish in about 6 to 16 weeks: a few weeks to complete the 60-hour course, a week or two to schedule and pass the PSI exam, and application processing after that.